Remedies are prepared by alternating dilution and ‘succussion’.Whatever the source, the starting material is next dissolved in a mixture of water and alcohol. Soluble substances are dissolved directly, whereas insoluble ones need to be ground to a fine powder before they can be dissolved. Following the initial dissolution of the substance, the remedy is prepared by a serial process of alternating dilution and succussion. Dilution involves taking one part of the original solution and diluting it in a much larger portion (usually 10 or 100 times as much) water. Succussion involves vigorous mixing of the solution,through successive percussions(successions) of the dilution container on a solid and impact surface, a specialized process which is unique to homeopathy.

The entire process of dilution and succussion is repeated from three times to many thousands of times. This is nowadays performed by homeopathic pharmacies with the help of specialized equipment that automates this otherwise tedious process.Regardless of the source product, the remedy is dispensed either in liquid form or as sugar-based tablets suffused with the mixture. The remedy contains very little or none of the original substance, because the process of preparation has diluted away the original substance to such an extent that there is no possibility that its action is through chemical means. Because of the remedy’s ultra-diluted nature, the patient need not ever worry about ingesting a harmful substance or about chemical interaction with other medications.

The claim that the homeopathic remedy does not act through chemical means alone makes some people view the claims of homeopathy with disbelief, because all medicines are assumed to work through chemical means. But the effect ,that homeopathic remedies have, is achieved through a biophysical mechanism which transfers only the pharmacologic “information” from the molecules of the original source on the water molecules of the dilution.This mechanism is,exactly,activated by the successive successions as above.Today, some pharmacies still prepare remedies by hand succussion while others mimic the process by machine. When the starting material the remedy is insoluble, as in the case of a metal, it will first undergo a series of grindings with lactose until it can be dissolved for the dilution part of the potentisation process though succussions.

Each remedy is prepared in two ,usually, different potency scales so the practitioner can prescribe from the one that best suits the circumstances. By the time the homeopathic remedy has been potentised to the stage of 12C or 24X it is impossible to detect any molecular trace of the original substance within it. It has become a”sub-molecular” medicine free of any chemical effects. The surprising fact is that homeopathic remedies are often potentised thousands of times higher than these “low potency” levels, yet when prescribed according to the Law of Similars, still retain their ability to trigger healing responses in the unwell. As a general rule, higher potency remedies act more deeply and trigger longer lasting reactions than their low potency counterparts.Ηomeopathic medicines are safe for all to use. They are dispensed as highly dilute, sub-molecular remedies that are free of the chemical side effects associated with other medicines.

The process of potentisation involves the repeated dilution and jarring shaking (succussion) of a substance. In the process, healing effects are amplified.While ultra dilution vanishes any toxicity of the original substance, succussion releases the dormant energy of that substance into the liquid carrier to give the remedy its healing effect.Making a homeopathic remedy is as simple as dissolving a substance in a liquid, succussing it (shaking it with a pounding action against the palm of your hand or a leather covered book), diluting it further, succussing, diluting again, succussing, and so on. What is truly amazing is that these stages, even if repeated tens of thousands of times, will produce a highly active and curative remedy.

The nature of potentisation has been a fascinating mystery of Homeopathy. What modern academic research supports is that the potentisation process imprints biophysical information from the original substance onto the diluting liquid during the stages of succussion. This liquid is then prescribed according to the Law of Similars as either drops or medicated pilules to the unwell person. They carry the biophysical information into the body to trigger self healing processes that move the person back to a state of health.

The Centesimal Scale
The first scale that Hahnemann developed during the early years of Homeopathy is the centesimal scale. As its name would suggest, it has a 1:100 dilution ratio and it is prepared in the following manner:

Step 1: One part of the mother tincture is diluted in 99 parts of a water and alcohol mixture.

Step 2: This liquid is then succussed 10 times in its bottle by firmly hitting the bottle’s base against a firm surface such as the palm of a hand or a leather covered book. The resulting liquid is called a 1C potency, “1” referring to its first stage of dilution and the Roman numeral, “C”, referring to its 1:100 dilution ratio.

Step 3: One part of this 1C potency is again diluted and succussed in 99 parts of a water and alcohol mixture to produce a 2C remedy.

Step 4: This serial process of dilution and succussion, called potentisation, is further repeated to produce increasingly higher potencies of the remedy.

All homeopathic remedies have numbers and/or letters that follow their names to indicate the potency of each remedy. The letter and number in Sepia 6C,a remedy prepared from the ink of the cuttlefish, tells us that it has been through six stages of dilution and succussion according to the centesimal scale. A potency of 200C would indicate that it had been through 200 stages while the Roman numeral, “M”, would indicate it had been diluted and succussed 1000 times.
Centesimal remedies may be prescribed them as pills,pilules, tablets or liquids in high or low potencies for the treatment of both acute and chronic disease.

The Decimal Scale
The decimal scale was the second potency scale to be produced in the development of Homeopathy. It has a dilution factor of 1:10 meaning that one part of the mother tincture or potency is diluted in 9 partsof a water alcohol mixture. Like the centesimal scale, the decimal scale still has 10 succussions between each dilution phase. Once again,the remedy’s name is followed by a number to show how many stages of dilution and succussion it has been through and the Roman numeral “X”to indicate its 1:10 dilution ratio. A 3X potency, for example, indicates three stages of dilution and succussion according to the decimal scale while a 12X indicates that the process has occurred 12 times.Decimal potencies can be also dispensed as pills,pilules,tablets or liquids.

Dr Tasos AV is Member of The Faculty of Homoeopathy(MFHom) , of the Homeopathic Medical Association(HMA) and is also registered with the General Medical Council(GMC),UK as Consultant Medical Specialist.

Ηe has clinical homeopathic work with international recognition.He has practised Homeopathic Medicine more than 30(thirty) years and he has a specific interest and clinical experience in the homeopathic treatment of all Women and Men’s Health conditions and of Infertility